Savings nominal, but message priceless

Pickering Councillor Jennifer O'Connell

DURHAM -- A resident's request that Durham councillors take a two-year pay freeze could be dealt with at a council meeting next week.

Greg Milosh of Oshawa spoke to Regional Council's finance committee on Tuesday, saying councillors getting a pay raise "sends the wrong message to the people of Durham Region."

He proposed a wage freeze this year and next, saying it would save Durham between $30,000 and $35,000.

Pickering Councillor Jennifer O'Connell said she'd bring a motion at the Jan. 23 meeting to freeze councillors' wages for two years.

Councillors are here to serve and not self-enrich.

Councillors earn a base salary of $50,652 (plus another $6,000 if chairing a committee) and received the same 2.25-per cent increase this year that unionized employees and senior staff received.

By freezing their wages, councillors would also gain "leverage with your unions," Mr. Milosh stated.

"If council's wage was frozen, they should take that into consideration," he added.

Not only was Mr. Milosh seeking a freeze for this year and next, he also said councillors should reconsider the annual pay raises they receive.

Regional Chairman Roger Anderson said in 2008 Durham went through a "public process" on how to determine the salary for politicians.

"It recommended salaries be tied into union contracts so the discussion like yours doesn't come into play," he said, adding when councillors discuss their wages, "it becomes very political."

"You're not bound to accept that," Mr. Milosh replied.

"It sends a clear message to Durham Region taxpayers, many who have lost their jobs. With a wage freeze, council would empathize with them and not increase their wage," he added. "It sends a message to your unions, that their expectations should be tempered."

The amount saved by a council pay freeze would be "nominal," Mr. Milosh said, but he added if unions held back on their demands, the savings would be in the millions.

The regional council in Niagara Falls voted 27-1 recently to freeze its salaries, he said, adding the one opposed had sought a wage decrease.

"A self-imposed increase is an obvious conflict of interest to me."

By tying the politicians' wage increase with those given to unionized workers, "all you're doing is piggybacking on your unions and getting what they get."

When candidates are running for a position, "I never hear them say 'I know what the salary is and I expect an annual increase.' Councillors are here to serve and not self-enrich," Mr. Milosh said.